The 7 Best And 7 Worst SNL Weekend Update Anchors Ranked

Weekend Update is one of the longest-running and most successful segments in "SNL's" history. A refreshing break from "SNL's" sketch format, the segment shifts the tone from the usual absurdity of the show's sketches to a more parodic spoof on strait-laced news programs.

Having been first introduced to "SNL" programming way back in 1975, Weekend Update quickly became one of the most popular aspects of "SNL." The satirical tone of the segment and the deadpan delivery of its anchors ultimately led to Weekend Update earning a regular time slot on "SNL."

Since its creation, Weekend Update has had some of "SNL's" most talented comedians serve as anchors, from segment co-creator Chevy Chase to current hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che. Given how long the segment has been on "SNL," though, a number of less-than-stellar anchors have headlined Weekend Update over the years as well.

From short-lived hosts in the 1980s to "SNL" stars whose names will forever be synonymous with the news program, here are some of the best and worst Weekend Update anchors the show has ever had.

Jane Curtin remains one of the unsung heroes of "SNL." As one of the original cast members on the show, she brought a good deal of grounded, more sarcastic humor that more manic cast mates could effectively bounce their energy off of. For an illustration of just how strong a feature player she was on "SNL," you don't have to look much farther than her stint as the host of Weekend Update in the late 1970s.

Filling the immense hole left by Chevy Chase after Chase's "SNL" departure in 1976, Curtin carried Weekend Update from 1976 to 1980. Whether she was reporting on her own or alongside co-anchors like Dan Aykroyd or Bill Murray, Curtin helped secure Weekend Update's place on "SNL" with Chase no longer there to headline.

Thanks to Curtin's matter-of-fact delivery of the news, Weekend Update evolved into something bigger and better by having two anchors co-host. Without Curtin, who knows if Weekend Update would've survived as long as it has (and of course, we never would've gotten the oft-quoted "Point/Counterpoint" between Curtin and Aykroyd that has become so universally beloved today).

Say what you will about Jimmy Fallon and his at-times annoying habit of laughing in the middle of a sketch, his stint on Weekend Update remains perhaps the crowning achievement of his time on "SNL." Co-hosting the program alongside Tina Fey, Fallon helped reinvigorate the segment with a much-needed dose of silliness after Colin Quinn's dry take on the program. Their onscreen antics helped make Weekend Update entertaining again, with the two leads injecting lighthearted humor in the program that rarely failed to get a laugh (even if it was Fallon's own).

Unlike some prior hosts, they didn't try to strictly play the buffoonish newsreader but instead tried adding their own spin to their onscreen characters. Between their serious attire and penchant for breaking down in giggles, it was like watching two kids pretending to read the news, the two of them having a level of chemistry that has yet to be fully duplicated since on Weekend Update.

While Fallon no doubt owes a big debt of gratitude to his hilarious partnership with Fey, he still managed to find the ideal place for his talents with his hosting gig. His tendency to break character might not have been a good fit for "SNL's" sketches, but his incessant laughter made the already surreal news stories that much more ridiculous and hard to believe.

After a prolonged period that saw several pairs of co-anchors overseeing Weekend Update, the segment was turned over to Seth Meyers, who acted as the program's first solo host in nearly a decade. While other, lesser talents might've buckled under the pressure, the confident, intelligent, charismatic Meyers soared. Whether he was on his own or appearing alongside co-anchor Amy Poehler (with whom he was initially paired for two years) or any number of "SNL's" strange breed of recurring characters, Meyers consistently delivered laughs on a weekly basis.

His solo work is entertaining enough, but it's Meyers' interactions with his fellow "SNL" cast members on the set of Weekend Update that made him such a strong and memorable anchor during his five-year stint on the segment. His recurring "Really!?! with Seth" bits saw him perform opposite such stars as Jerry Seinfeld and Kermit the Frog, all to tremendous effect.

However, it's his relationship with his onscreen lover, Stefon (played by a side-splittingly funny Bill Hader) that continues to define Meyers' time on "SNL." Together, Hader and Meyers pushed the boundaries of Weekend Update characters in radically different directions, creating an odd, practically cinematic romance story that lasted for years. It was new, it was weird, but we loved it all the same.

Like her frequent onscreen partner in crime Tina Fey, Amy Poehler is often regarded not only as one of the greatest Weekend Update anchors there is, but also one of the best "SNL" cast members of all time. Her comic ability allowed her to do almost anything. She could take center stage in a skit and make it interesting or appear as a supporting player. She could hold your attention in a monologue and could do equally well when paired with a castmate. There's no better illustration of Poehler's immense comedic capabilities than her time on Weekend Update, first as a co-host with Tina Fey and later with Seth Meyers.

Watching Fey and Poehler on Weekend Update together was like watching two best friends trying to tell a joke without breaking a smile. Whenever they shared a screen, they could inject enough lighthearted banter into their news reading to elevate the driest material into something worth laughing at. You could tell they were having fun during their time together, and that infectious joy spread easily to the viewers.

After Fey left "SNL" in 2006, Poehler continued to excel on Weekend Update with Meyers by her side. The pairing wasn't quite as great as Poehler and Fey's, but Poehler still brought the same boisterous, wound-up energy she'd take with her to "Parks and Recreation" in 2008.

The first anchor to ever grace the Weekend Update stage, without Chevy Chase, there'd be no segment. Not only is he responsible for helping create the segment in the first place, but he also set an unbelievably high bar for pretty much every Weekend Update anchor that followed, with his neat suit, collegiate appearance, and endlessly sarcastic delivery. No anchor has ever come close to capturing the same magic Chase had when he first established the segment on "SNL."

That Chase only acted as the anchor on Weekend Update for a single year is proof of just how influential his time on the segment was. From the moment he uttered his famous opening lines ("I'm Chevy Chase... and you're not"), viewers knew they were in for something distinct from "SNL's" other sketches. The popularity of the recurring segment almost directly led to Chase becoming the first breakout "SNL" star, as well as giving us so many famous quotes during his time on the segment — such as his parting words, "That's the news. Goodnight, and have a pleasant tomorrow."

Chase was always brilliant in "SNL's" sketches, but it was Weekend Update that made him something more. Influencing nearly every anchor that's come after, Chase has even claimed the format and tone of the segment even had some critical bearing on famed comedic news programs like "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" years later. He didn't just set the standard for Weekend Update; he invented it.

Even with how many hosts have been on "SNL" over the years, no one — repeat, no one — comes close to doing what Norm Macdonald did on the show. In his three-year run on Weekend Update, Macdonald introduced a level of complete unpredictability when it came to the jokes you could make on the segment. Mixing dark comedy, surrealist jokes, and shock humor into his routine, Macdonald gave the appearance of someone who didn't really care if the audience found his bits amusing — all that he cared about was whether he was having fun.

Throughout his time on Weekend Update, Macdonald pushed the envelope in terms of things you could joke about. Covering subjects that other hosts might have steered clear of for the sake of their career, Macdonald tackled controversial topics head-on, delivering jokes that were hilarious to most viewers but irked NBC executives. At any point during his weekly segment, you got the impression that Macdonald might deliver a joke so shocking that he might actually get himself fired — which, unfortunately, ended up being the case at the end of 1997.

As brave a performer as any comedian that's appeared on "SNL," Macdonald didn't comprise with his humor or tell jokes the audience or his superiors expected to hear. Pushing the boundaries of late-night TV content, it seemed that he was constantly trying to find the one joke too shocking for audience members to handle. His brand of comedy was an unexpectedly delightful addition to Weekend Update, with few comedians even coming close to repeating what Macdonald had achieved in the mid-1990s.

Tina Fey remains one of the most talented comics to ever perform on "SNL." From her years spent writing for the show to her incredible impersonations, she was one of the most nuanced comedians to ever grace "SNL's" stage, every bit as gifted in front of the camera as she was behind it. For as great as she was in regular sketches or in her celebrity impersonations, it's her stint on Weekend Update that continues to define her time at "SNL."

Originally introduced as a co-anchor with Jimmy Fallon, Fey brought a good deal of lighthearted energy to Weekend Update that managed to reinvent the program in the early 2000s. As great as her chemistry was with Fallon, though, it was with Fallon's successor, Amy Poehler, that made Fey a true joy to watch on screen. Together, the two made for the perfect duo, on par with other legendary "SNL" teams like Belushi and Aykroyd or Spade and Farley. With Fey's dry wit and Poehler's zanier personality, the two struck comedy gold the likes of which few Weekend Update co-anchors had ever found before.

No matter which co-anchor she was saddled with, Fey always managed to bring something new and unexpected when it came to Weekend Update. She could deliver long, layered jokes without cracking a smile or breaking, or excel in bits with recurring characters without being overshadowed. Several anchors have come after her, but there remains only one Tina Fey.